


The Power of Baby Grinch

by NotoriousReign



Category: Degrassi: Next Class
Genre: F/F, F/M, Pregnancy, slight polyamory
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-26
Updated: 2020-12-26
Packaged: 2021-03-11 08:00:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,853
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28348038
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NotoriousReign/pseuds/NotoriousReign
Summary: Set in the Latching Onto You universe where Lola and Miles have Hope in their teens. They're all adults now, Lola going into her second pregnancy. But little do they know this Christmas, they're about to discover that Frankie and Esme are ready to have their first kid too!
Relationships: Frankie Hollingsworth & Miles Hollingsworth III, Frankie Hollingsworth/Esme Song, Miles Hollingsworth III/Lola Pacini
Comments: 1
Kudos: 5
Collections: Mola Hope Universe





	The Power of Baby Grinch

**Author's Note:**

  * For [molaspacini](https://archiveofourown.org/users/molaspacini/gifts).
  * Inspired by [Latching Onto You](https://archiveofourown.org/works/25497862) by [eeveepacini](https://archiveofourown.org/users/eeveepacini/pseuds/eeveepacini), [molaspacini](https://archiveofourown.org/users/molaspacini/pseuds/molaspacini). 



> This is a little Christmas gift for my friend Kelly. A bit belated, but I'm actually glad I got it done!

* * *

For once her daughter and now the second baby kicking didn’t wake her that morning and it almost alarmed her. Lola’s eyes fluttered open at the sight of snow falling in large tufts just outside her window. _That’s_ when the baby kicked.

Contrary to popular belief, Lola’s favourite holiday or celebration was not Halloween. What, she coloured her hair that suddenly meant she loved the colour orange? As if. No, her favourite holiday would forever be Christmas.

And tomorrow was Christmas.

Excitement rippled through her so fast that the baby kicked again. Lola placed a hand over her stomach, her voice hushed but eager.

“I know, I know, you’ll see them soon enough!”

She turned and at first lightly nudged Miles lying next to her, then shoved him a little harder. He grumbled in defiance, one arm still wrapped around her torso, the other cuddling his pillow. Lola couldn’t help giggling. Even after five years together he was still so cute.

“Miles, it’s Christmas Eve!”

“It’s also 7 in the morning.” He grumbled back into his pillow.

“Yeah? How would you know?”

She saw the hint of a smirk pop up onto his lips, as hidden as it may have been against his pillow. His eyes remained closed.

The apartment was eerily quiet. Lola thought about all the wonderful traditions they needed to accomplish these next few days and it brought up a giddy little tingle. Never mind the fact that she started decorating mid-November and it took everything not to have done it sooner. But this Christmas was different, their family was about to become larger than ever.

Ever since Miles and Lola moved into their apartment a little over a year ago, they made sure to keep the bedroom door they occupied together open at least halfway. When Lola was young she always wanted the door shut tightly while she slept. Having Hope changed not only the big things in her life, but small stuff like this too.

Hope herself popped her head through said doorway now. The curls were a mess, still ruffled from the night and they would take a good half hour or so for Lola to tame. But her eyes. It was the wide green eyes resembling her father’s so vibrantly that made Lola grin and beckon her inside.

“Do you know what today is?”

Lola pushed herself closer to Miles, letting Hope cuddle into the bed with her. To his credit, Miles rolled to his side without complaint, letting go of both Lola’s torso and his pillow. His eyes continued to remain closed.

Hope snuggled in close, eyes now on the snow falling outside. “Christmas Eve!”

“Santa tonight, all your cousins tomorrow--”

“Can I play?”

Lola laughed, her daughter barely noticing. She was so enthralled with the snow outside. And who could blame her? It was a child’s dream come true! Snow on Christmas? Hell if Lola weren’t pregnant she’d be joining her.

They climbed out of bed and, for all of Hope’s excitement about the snow, she waited patiently as her mother waddled around, struggling to get dressed. She wasn’t sixteen, like when she had Hope, and thankfully had more preparation, but six months into her pregnancy was still a lot no matter her age. By the time Lola managed to slip on her robe and finish washing her face with Hope, Miles was up.

Their apartment was located right in the very heart of downtown Toronto, near a number of playgrounds. Since school let out for the holidays, they spent their time traveling around the city, taking part in snow-filled activities.

By the nighttime they were perfecting Christmas decorations and it was starting to snow heavily outside. Lola had a tendency to let her daughter help with making cookies. Hope was adamant about making sure Santa was well-fed for his journey that night, and she happened to be correct! 

For the first time they introduced their daughter to the Jim Carrey adaptation of How The Grinch Stole Christmas. When they first had Hope, it was the one movie they agreed was their favourite for the Christmas season. Not too goody-goody with the lesson and filled with memorable quotes. They wanted to get their daughter into at least one movie tradition and so far she seemed to enjoy the movie.

She especially squealed with joy during the sequence that introduced them to baby Grinch.

“Mommy! Mommy he’s so cute!” Hope hopped over and over, made them rewind to baby Grinch at least five times, before finally finishing the movie. And then when they did finish, they replayed baby Grinch’s scenes another ten times.

Once she had overexerted herself and they were able to put her to bed with the promise that Santa would really like the cookies they made, Lola mused aloud about making her a replica of baby Grinch as a plushie.

Miles just chuckled in bed next to her. “She’ll forget about it by tomorrow.”

How wrong he was.

* * *

Frankie was not a fun pregnant lady. Was there really such a thing as one? They’re carrying a whole human being inside them, they have every right to be demanding and exhausted.

But Frankie was on another level.

The father was present sometimes, shockingly nice for a guy Frankie and Esme hooked up with together at a bar and didn’t expect anything from when the news broke. They were 21, with steady enough jobs, and Frankie’s money to fall back on, they were okay.

But still, he was not around during most of Frankie’s… shall we say, _moments._ Esme was. (Frankly, Esme forgot his name at least once a week.) She wished suddenly that _she_ had been the pregnant one. Surely, she wouldn’t have been as demanding and annoying five months in.

Even as they exchanged Christmas gifts the next morning and Esme made her girlfriend some mean pancakes, she could tell Frankie was already tired.

“Couldn’t we stay in today? Just the two of us? We have so much work to do.”

“Nope!” Esme pointed her spatula at Frankie’s doe-eyed and hopeful expression. “We agreed on no work talk today!”

“Yeah but--”

“They have to find out sometime, Franks.”

And Frankie sighed, the only one dreading meeting up with her family. But Esme had too many years of memories with her dad to pass up the chance to spend a real celebration with a real family. As annoying as Frankie’s parents had been when they were teens, her mom at the very least enjoyed holiday traditions with them. All Esme ever did was have expensive gifts shoved in her face then an awkward dinner that usually ended in her raiding her dad’s liquor cabinet.

But not today! Today it was snowing and angelic outside. Esme took all of Frankie’s “requests” in stride, making her tea, helping her swollen feet into their boots, even when she continued to whine and groan about seeing her family.

First they were off to Miles’s apartment with Lola and their kid. They’d been so busy with work the last few months, even remote online stuff, that they hadn’t had the chance to really… _inform_ the Hollingsworths of Frankie’s pregnancy and it was just how she liked it until now.

“They’re gonna be so mad, Esme.”

Esme rolled her eyes, watching as the windshield wipers worked away at the fluffy snow. “Oh please. We’re not teenagers.”

It was getting annoying the way Frankie squirmed and at a red light Esme took her hand, turning and squeezing it with a smile.

“I’ve always wanted a kid. I never really thought I’d be capable of having one, but I’m glad it’s with you.”

That calmed her down considerably. And by the time they kicked off the snow from their boots and made it to the front entrance of the apartment lobby, they were ready for anything.

Esme almost burst into laughter when they were buzzed in and she got a good look at Miles’s astonished expression. His eyes all but bugged out at the sight of his little sister sporting a similar pregnant belly to his girlfriend.

“Wow.”

The babbling spilled out in a hurry, “I know, I _know_ , we obviously didn’t plan it, but we’ve been working hard to make sure the baby will be happy. Got all the stuff we needed, a crib, diapers, everything. Please don’t be mad--”

“Why would I be mad?” Miles smiled. He shook his head and opened the door wider for them to walk in. “I’m stunned, but I’m not _mad_.”

When Esme passed he gave her a quick hug and polite peck on the cheek. They hadn’t been close as teens but when she started dating his sister and it was clearly more serious than a simple fling, the two reconciled and became friends.

He even stopped Esme from handling the coats, which she was grateful for, because her favourite five-year-old in the world came rushing into the room, shouting in glee.

“Auntie Frankie!” Hope gasped harder, her eyes twinkling when she saw Esme. “ _Auntie Esme_!”

“Hi kiddo! You miss me?”

Evidently she did, with how hard she hugged Esme from the hips down. Lola came in next, delighted at the new sight of Frankie.

“Oh I absolutely need details.”

As Frankie told them everything about their planning and some of Jack’s involvement (Esme would forget his name again by next week), presents were exchanged over lunch. Lola let them borrow some salves she put together for Frankie’s swollen feet, shaking her head in astonishment the whole time.

“I just wish you had told us! How could you have not had a baby shower by now?” She gasped suddenly, hand smacking Miles’s arm. “We should throw her one!”

Frankie quickly shook her head over her cup of tea, her brother just as skeptical, but Esme smiled behind the present she handed to Hope.

“That’s a great idea.”

“Mom and dad don’t even know yet.”

That got Miles on Lola and Esme’s side. He scoffed, waving her off. “They’ll find out tonight and now you have us to help.” He put an arm around Lola’s shoulder, their bodies so in-sync and familiar by now. “Right, Lo?”

Hope’s shriek of delight interrupted them instead. They all turned to see destroyed wrapping paper circling her, the five-year-old pulling out a baby Grinch plushie. She hugged it close, squeezing it like her life depended on it.

“No way. We _just_ watched the movie last night.” Lola smiled, just as delighted and happy for her daughter.

Even with the rest of the family meeting up at the old Hollingsworth mansion, as well as the Powers-Bell clan, the initial fear and shock at Frankie’s pregnancy didn’t seem so overwhelming anymore. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that after Lola had Hope as a teenager, nothing seemed crazy to them as adults now. Esme couldn't help feeling a little smug on their way back to their own apartment.

Because Frankie was glowing the whole time, gushing about the night. Esme had been right all along. This was a much better Christmas than the ones she had before.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

> I am never trying to imply in any way that I don't agree with abortion or that I'm a pro-lifer. I actually really value and adore the abortion plot-line for Lola, it was done so well, and so easy to relate to even as an adult. This is just an alternate universe baby fic.


End file.
